


Angels Like You

by Authorexx



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Angst, F/F, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-29
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-15 02:20:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29056587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Authorexx/pseuds/Authorexx
Summary: A short history of the complicated relationship between an SVU detective and an ADA.
Relationships: Olivia Benson/Casey Novak
Comments: 18
Kudos: 12





	1. Chapter 1

Olivia couldn’t think straight; everything was happening at once. Her stomach was turning with adrenaline—or was it the last double scotch?—and the feeling in her gut told her that this was wrong; this was so _wrong._ The only thing that felt right in this moment was the feeling of Casey’s lips on her own; she tasted like Jameson and cinnamon. Every part of her knew she shouldn’t be doing this—getting drinks with pretty ADAs often led to… conflicts of interest such as this—but it had been so _long_ since she’d felt like this. It had been ages since she’d felt wanted or desirable, and it felt good. This was the culmination of months’ worth of back-and-forth between the two. It had started as Olivia’s way of putting the new ADA in her place; they hadn’t exactly started off on the right foot. She found Casey to be arrogant—she didn’t know how to handle SVU matters with the necessary tact. Dropping a bossy know-it-all ADA from White Collar Crimes into a bureau as delicate as theirs was a terrible decision, and Olivia had made her opinion known from the beginning.

Casey knew she had slim chances of making a great first impression—the late Alex Cabot was her predecessor and had been very well-liked by the squad. Needless to say, Alex was a hard act to follow. Casey’s move from White Collar was jarring, but she felt she was making the best of a bad situation—helping out another bureau who were down an ADA. They’d all warned her—it was going to be brutal; that she’d see things that would haunt her dreams… and she found this to be mostly true. The grim scenes she’d been exposed to even in the first week of work with Special Victims gave her horrible nightmares, but that wasn’t the only part of work that kept her up at night. She did all she could to prepare herself for seeing real-life monsters, but nothing could’ve prepared her for the stunning sight of Detective Olivia Benson. She’d chided herself silently when she caught herself staring during a visit to the precinct or daydreaming instead of working, but she shook it off as an innocent work crush that would subside after enough time together on the job.

Their initially rocky relationship changed as they began to banter more and more—Olivia discovered that Casey had a good sense of humor and very few friends outside the squad. They found reluctant acquaintances in one another, and Olivia felt herself falling into a similar pattern as she had in years before—asking the ADA to after work drinks with the squad was all above-board, but meeting up one on one could prove to be far more dangerous. Their usual banter had slipped into flirting, which slipped into propositions emboldened by liquor… which landed them in their current position. The detective’s heart was still grieving a woman in a classified location, but her body was with a gorgeous redhead with delicious lips and roaming hands who wanted her _so badly_ that she had insisted on straddling Olivia’s lap on the taxi ride home, pressing frenzied kisses to her lips, filling the air with desperate gasps that burned in her throat like Irish whiskey. Casey was already in a state of undress as they arrived at her apartment—the buttons on her blouse had been opened just low enough for a peek of ivory lace to tease Olivia’s vision.

They stumbled out and up the stairs after Olivia paid the fare, hoping Casey’s coat had obscured most of the show they’d inadvertently put on for the driver. The cold night air rushed up to greet them before they disappeared into the building with Olivia trailing just behind Casey. The elevator ride felt like an eternity before the doors clinked open into the hallway, and Casey took long strides to her door, searching for her keys. The click of the lock was all Olivia needed to hear before she closed the gap once more, pushing Casey into the door with a fervent kiss as it swung open.

Hours later, they found themselves tangled in the sheets, still catching their breath. Casey found herself in a daze as she lifted her head to look at her alarm clock. She had to be up in a few hours, but she’d get enough sleep to be presentable. She turned on her side, regarding Olivia’s moonlit frame, draped in her sheets, her breathing now slow and even as she presumably slept. Casey smiled and pulled the sheets around herself, sighing contentedly before she felt herself drift off.

Olivia was awake, staring out the window in Casey’s apartment, her head still reeling. It was all a blur—all she could remember was the bar, then the taxi, then lips and tongues and hands… She closed her eyes and attempted to sleep, hoping she could make a quiet exit in the morning.


	2. Chapter 2

Casey woke to an empty bed. It seems that Olivia had made her exit with little fanfare. The redhead sat up, letting the sheets pool around her waist, her spine straightening out with some soft pops. She moved to stand up, a dull soreness inhabiting her thighs as she moved to the bathroom for a shower. The shower floor was still wet—Olivia likely hurried through one before she left. Casey started the water and put together her outfit for the day. She wouldn’t be appearing in court, so something more casual was in order. A dark pair of jeans and a nicer blouse would do… but what if Olivia saw her? Casey sighed and shook her head—it shouldn’t matter if Olivia saw her or not; why should she even care? She slipped on the blouse and inspected her reflection. Her eyes widened in surprise as she observed herself—something with a higher neck would have to do; Olivia had done a number on her collarbone. As for the little purplish-red marks on her neck, Casey would have to use some concealer and pray it didn’t wear off.

Casey spent the vast majority of her day in her office, working on her notes for pretrial prep, finding herself in a comfortable rhythm with her paperwork. Her phone made its shrill tone on her desk, and she jumped slightly, being shaken from her trance as she picked up the receiver. “Novak, D.A.’s office.” She sat up straighter—it was Cragen; there had been a break in the case. “I’ll be right over.” Two weeks ago, she would’ve left without a second thought in a whirl of files and excitement, but today, she paused, fixing her hair ever so slightly and touching up her lip gloss that had worn off from lunch.

Entering the squad room, Casey mentally prepared herself to remain calm. Olivia was sitting with her back to the door, working on something at her desk; likely having drained the numerous cups of coffee that littered the surface. She’d likely needed it after having stayed up so late. “So, what’s new? Catch me up.” Elliot volunteered, showing Casey the new evidence on the other side of the room. Casey couldn’t help but steal a glance back at Olivia who seemed cemented to her chair, her eyes boring holes in the desk in front of her. “Is—is Olivia okay?” She gestured back to the other detective, a look of concern crossing her face.

Elliot looked over his shoulder before shrugging and turning back to Casey. “Yeah, she’s been a bit of a zombie all day. She’ll come out of it.” The recap continued and Casey was up to speed, making little notes in the margins of her paperwork.

“Are you two off to follow a lead, then?” Casey asked, walking back to the shared desk, her fingers skating over the corner nearest to Olivia, coming to rest on the edge.

“No, Cragen sent Fin and Munch to check it out. We’re waiting on another call from Warner for any more DNA evidence.” Elliot sat back down with a sigh. “Same as always; hurry up and wait.”

“Olivia,” said Casey, her voice growing soft, “want me to get you a coffee?”

The detective’s head moved to look up at her. “Sure, thanks.” Her expression was placid and calm as ever. Nobody would suspect what had transpired between the two of them last night.

Casey crossed the room to make another cup, fixing it up the way she knew the detective liked, taking a little extra time to personalize it with “Olivia” written in pen, the same name she’d doodled on her notepad over and over in the midst of her daydreams. “Here,” she said, placing the cup on the desk and giving Olivia’s shoulder the gentlest tap before walking out of the precinct. “I’ll be back tomorrow,” she called behind her, giving a wave over her shoulder.

Casey made her way back to her office, grumbling under her breath. “I’ll be back tomorrow,” she mocked herself, “you _moron_. Oh, Olivia, let me get you some coffee; also, hey, I totally _don’t_ feel weird about last night.” She rolled her eyes, chiding herself for her own behavior. “You’re an adult woman; you can’t be acting this way.” And yet, she was. “Why’d you write on that damn coffee cup?” she sighed, shaking her head.

Olivia was grateful for the coffee, but Casey’s appearance in the squad room had proved to be a challenge. The detective had kept her composure as always, having observed the ADA going over new evidence with Elliot, watching her nod and scribble notes, occasionally biting her lips as she was prone to do… and those jeans. She’d never seen Casey in jeans, and she looked good. Olivia chose to fake concentration on her own notes, mostly fiddling idly with the sleeves of the coffee cups that had stacked up on her desk. She took another sip from the cup Casey had just made, studying the cursive lettering Casey had etched onto the cup. “Olivia” in her customary black ink pen—not ballpoint, ink. She took the sleeve off this cup as well, peeling it apart as she had the others, but her eyes were drawn to something else on the inside of the cardboard. It was in Casey’s handwriting, she could tell—a phone number? Casey wanted her to call her. On her _personal_ phone. Olivia slipped the scrap of cardboard discreetly into her coat pocket with a heavy sigh, her other hand firmly planted on her forehead. Drinks with pretty ADAs always end badly.


	3. Chapter 3

In the days that followed, things had returned to normal in the precinct. The regular workflow had continued; there was another case that would lead to another trial and everything would be as it was before. Olivia and Casey would smile at one another; chat in the squad room; all the usual proceedings of a typical day. It seemed that order had been restored from chaos, but for Casey, it was purely superficial.

Casey watched her phone every evening with bated breath, perched on her couch in anticipation with a glass of wine in hand. Would Olivia ever call? Would it matter if she did? Why wouldn’t she call? Was this new for her, too? Casey was never one to shy away from her sexuality—she’d had her fair share of girlfriends in undergrad, but they’d never gone all the way. In her more recent adult life, she hadn’t yet fallen for a woman, but here she was, agonizing over a phone call from Olivia—her coworker of all people. Maybe she hadn’t seen her number at all; she’d thrown away the coffee cup without a second thought—of course! How could she have been so stupid; _clearly_ Olivia hadn’t seen it, _that_ was the logical explanation—

The phone rang, and Casey yelped, scrambling to press the “accept” button. “Hello, this is Casey.”

“Hey, it’s Olivia.”

The smooth sound of the detective’s voice over the receiver was enough to make Casey’s heart beat faster. She attempted to speak, but her mouth was suddenly dry. A quick gulp of wine fixed this, but she coughed, not anticipating the bite of the Rosé. “Uh, hey, Olivia. You got my number.”

“You feeling okay?” Olivia sounded concerned.

“Yeah, uh… too much wine.” Casey attempted a breezy-sounding giggle, but it came out as a haphazard guffaw. She cringed at her own efforts, grateful that this was only a phone call.

Olivia’s chuckle came through the speaker. “Sounds like the opposite of a problem to me. Drinking alone, though?”

Casey felt her cheeks grow hot—and it wasn’t from the wine; she’d only had one glass. “Are you asking to come over?”

“Are you offering?”

The boldness of the question threw Casey for a loop—she’d anticipated a rejection. “I mean, this bottle isn’t gonna finish itself.” Was she actually _successfully_ flirting? With a woman she was legitimately interested in? She reminded Olivia of her address—she hadn’t expected her to remember it, especially considering the conditions of their last meeting. “I’ll see you soon.”

Once they’d hung up, Casey closed her eyes in a moment of bliss, allowing the butterflies in her stomach to lift her off the couch before she crashed back down to earth, realizing she was in sweats and her apartment was a mess. _“Shit.”_

Casey began to run around her apartment, tossing as many different clothes and shoes into her closet and shoving the door closed. Hopefully it would go beyond notice tonight. Now she had to figure out what she was wearing. Nothing too dressy; Olivia had probably just finished work… A sweater and some jeans would suffice. She did her best to make herself presentable, adding a bit of makeup to what was left from the day and running a brush through her hair. There was a knock on her door shortly after, and she rushed back, taking a breath before opening it.

“Olivia, hi.” Casey couldn’t control the smile that suddenly appeared, her eyes slowly taking in the sight of Olivia at her door. She was absolutely gorgeous, even after a full day of work. “Please, come in.”

“Thanks.” Olivia had barely recognized the place from the other night. It really had been a blur. “Well, you’re not drinking alone anymore.”

“Ri-right,” stuttered Casey, walking back to the kitchen to get another glass. “I hope you don’t mind Rosé.”

“I’m usually more of a Cabernet girl, but I’m not complaining.” Olivia sat down on the couch as Casey approached, pouring her a glass. “Thank you. Long day.”

“Then I’m glad to help.” Casey sat beside Olivia, feeling bold as she took a long drink from her own glass. “I… can’t believe you called.” She shook her head, swirling the wine thoughtfully.

Olivia raised her eyebrows, giving Casey a pointed look. “I didn’t think you’d give me your number.”

“You’re… joking, right?” Casey snickered, looking back up at Olivia. “I don’t exactly have men beating down my door.”

“I’m not joking, Casey,” Olivia said, shaking her head with a smile. “Where’d that come from the other night?” The brunette took a drink of her wine, raising an eyebrow.

Casey was taken by surprise again by Olivia’s boldness, draining her glass to give herself time to think. “You know,” she said, putting her glass down to look back up at Olivia, “I don’t know. Mostly because… I didn’t think I could.”

Olivia picked up the bottle in a silent offering of more wine. Casey replied with a raise of her glass and a nod, and Olivia filled it. “So, why were you working on this bottle alone? Because you didn’t think you could?” The brunette cracked a smile before taking another drink.

“I was having a Friday night in. No plans; just me.” The redhead shrugged, starting on the fresh glass before settling back on the couch.

Olivia leaned closer, her eyes following Casey’s hand as she lifted the glass to her lips, licking them after she finished her drink, a flush coming to her face. “Slow down, Casey… or at least let me catch up to you.” The detective finished her glass and refilled it halfway. “Do you always spend your Friday nights on your couch?”

Casey felt a lightness in her head as she grinned at Olivia. “I mean, no… sometimes I work.”

It was Olivia’s turn to laugh—Casey had heard it before, but never like this; never meant only for her. She felt herself melt as a tingle ran down her spine. As she sipped her wine, a warm, curling feeling of desire settled in the pit of her stomach, licking her lips as she watched Olivia.

“See something, counselor?” A smirk crossed Olivia’s lips as she shifted her weight on the couch, glancing at the now-empty bottle and back to Casey.

Casey scoffed. “What, you’re suddenly shy?” She finished her third glass and left it on the table, leaning in to press a kiss to Olivia’s lips, her heartbeat pounding in her ears. “I think we both know why you’re here.”

Olivia pulled back only to put down her wine before kissing Casey back, this time with more fervor. “I’m glad we understand each other.”


	4. Chapter 4

In the hours between that first kiss on the couch and the present moment, they had traversed the space to Casey’s bedroom, spending the remainder of the evening in bed. It had felt like an eternity passed, and Casey turned to her alarm clock. “It’s only… well, it’s midnight. Do you… have to… head out?” Casey propped herself up on one elbow, lying on her side. “If you have to get home, of course.” She chewed her lip, a subconscious plea for Olivia to stay. Casey knew the inevitable answer to her question was coming as she watched Olivia dress herself.

Olivia did a mental calculation of just how much sleep she’d be getting if she let herself stay. A heavy sigh came from the detective, rolling her neck. “I…” she sighed again, her voice growing soft as she looked at the door, “I should go.” Olivia felt a twinge of regret at her words and turned around—and there was Casey, her pale skin still glowing, her perfectly pink lips parted just enough to entice. The sight of her made Olivia blush, feeling a tingle slide up her spine as she swallowed hard, her tongue darting over her own lips. Casey looked like a goddess half-draped in silk as her green eyes glittered with desire, silently begging Olivia to come back to bed. It was more than Olivia could take, magnetizing back to the other woman’s lips, parting only to pull her shirt off again, flinging it away to a now-forgotten corner of the room as she devoured every inch of Casey, drinking in every moment she spent in her embrace.

It was a blissful few months; a honeymoon phase, like any new relationship. Their weekend plans would start early in the evening; Casey would arrive on Friday with a modest bouquet, a bottle of wine, and the hope that nothing eventful would interrupt them until Saturday afternoon. More often than not, her wishes wouldn’t come true, but some weekends were luckier than others. On the outside, it was simply two colleagues celebrating a court victory or drowning their sorrows after a loss—no suspicions of a conflict of interest. There were no problems as long as everything appeared above board.

As weeks blurred into months, a looming feeling of dread began to hang over Casey. When would it end? When would Olivia finally see all the flaws Casey saw in herself? The whirlwind week of the Connors trial came, and with it, the revelation of Alex Cabot’s continued existence on the earth. Casey’s head was spinning between preparations and court appearances, and she reached out for her only port in this perfect storm. She called Olivia once, twice, three times before she remembered where the detective was on duty, and she tossed the phone away with a huff—Olivia was protecting their resurrected star witness at a hotel in Manhattan. The feeling of dread suddenly draped itself around her shoulders, a cold blanket of doubt and worry encircling her body as a chill prickled up her spine into the base of her skull. Her eyes locked on her phone, silent and unmoving in its place on the couch beside her, the sound of her own breathing becoming all she could hear. She shook her head, shrugging off the cloak of her anxieties and jumping to her feet. “No!” she shouted, slamming her hands into her ears and squeezing her eyes shut. “No, that’s crazy.” A buzz from her phone brought her back to her senses, and she opened her eyes. It was a text from Olivia.

_Everything ok?_

Two words were all she needed and Casey sighed with relief, a soothing warmth spreading through her chest as she typed out her reply.

_Yeah. Doing fine._

It was the weekend following the Connors trial when everything shifted. It was nearly imperceptible, but it hadn’t passed Casey by. She had thought Olivia was just thrown for a loop—it was the first weekend they spent apart since they began seeing one another, but it was probably out of exhaustion from a hard week. This was exactly what Casey had anticipated; the other shoe seemed to have finally dropped. She could see it now—their weekend routine would resume, but there would be more interruptions for work and less time spent talking in the dark before they fell asleep; Olivia would grow more distant by the minute until Casey lost her completely.

Casey had come straight from work, arriving at Olivia’s apartment with a lump in her throat. She knocked on the door and waited, feeling her stomach flip before it opened.

Olivia looked surprised to see her in the doorway. “Casey,” she said, her eyebrows raising. “Hey.”

“Hi. I should’ve called.” Casey bit her lip, walking past Olivia as the door shut behind them. “How are y—“

The interruption was sudden as Olivia’s lips crashed into Casey’s, pinning her to the wall with a dull thud. They separated as Casey gasped, blinking to clear her vision as her head bounced off the wall. “Don’t worry about that, baby,” Olivia whispered, her lips moving down to her neck, and Casey found herself forgetting exactly why she’d even come to Olivia’s apartment in the first place.


	5. Chapter 5

It was a second honeymoon, and Casey had never been happier. After a while, it was almost domestic; an arrangement of convenience between the two. Casey found herself preferring the coziness of Olivia’s apartment to her own, spending half her weekends working on paperwork at the detective’s kitchen table and the other half in her bed. Bearing witness to the monsters lurking in the shadows of Manhattan was easier with someone to come home to at night. Even the four a.m. calls from the captain that sent Olivia rushing out the door in the morning were a reminder that a human being was sleeping beside her. A warm body in a warm bed was a world of comfort to which Casey had slowly grown accustomed. Casey had also grown accustomed to Olivia’s quirks—how she liked her eggs with runny yolks; how her candles and perfumes were always imbued with her favorite scent of lavender; how she loved her favorite cardigan so much that she purchased it in three different colors. This was far more intimate than any fantasy from Casey’s daydreams months ago.

Casey had plans for tonight—she would be going over to Olivia’s apartment. This week had been challenging for the both of them, but Casey knew precisely how to take Olivia’s mind off work. She would wear something daring over to her apartment and make the stress of the week melt away.

Next thing she knew, she woke up in a hospital bed confused and crying; Olivia was asking her questions she didn’t know the answers to; the world was too loud, too bright, and everything hurt. The bruises on her face still stung as she wept, feeling two inches tall.

In the strangest turn of events, it was Casey who found herself slipping away, losing trust, growing distant. “Not tonight” was nearly a catchphrase; Olivia couldn’t even hug her from behind without a full panic attack following. Casey broke it off, retreating into her own space; her own mind; building a protective wall around herself, a fortress of her own creation.

It took the better part of a year before Casey decided to stay late at the precinct. “Liv… could we… try again?” she asked, biting her lip out of nervousness. The young girl they were working with this week was bullied for having two mothers, and seeing Olivia’s passion for the case had stirred up Casey’s feelings once more.

All it took was a smile from Olivia to start chipping away at Casey’s carefully constructed defenses. “I… don’t see why not,” said the detective, rising from her desk chair and following Casey out.

A year later, Casey was spending her evenings alone by her phone again, waiting for news from Olivia. She was undercover and it was driving Casey crazy—not knowing where Olivia was at any point was growing torturous. When Olivia burst into the courtroom to testify, Casey swore she could feel her heart sigh with relief at the sight of the detective.

When trial wrapped up, Casey turned around to face Olivia, wanting nothing more than to run into her arms; but instead, she stood, grinning at the detective. “Welcome home, Olivia.” Casey’s heart beat faster as she moved closer.

“Hey, Casey.” Olivia smiled in return, joining the ADA in step as they left the courthouse. “Sorry I was late.”

“All in the timing,” Casey said, raising an eyebrow, her lips curling into a smirk. “Can I interest you a proper welcome home? Tonight?”

Olivia couldn’t help but laugh. “The jet lag will keep me up,” she said, shrugging, “I don’t see why not. See you at… eight?”

For the next year, they resumed their old rhythm, but less domestic. It was more about ease of access; stress relief. Visits to the DA’s office were easy; Casey had her own office; private and out of the way. Sometimes they’d take a risk at the courthouse—there were several rooms that were unused in the building at any given time, and they knew the precise schedule.

When Casey was censured, everything came to a grinding halt. It was as if she had fallen off the face of the planet. Olivia called, looking to check in; to touch base. “I’m… leaving New York for a little while. I’ll… I don’t know; I’ll figure it out.”

That was the last thing she’d expected to hear from Casey Novak of all people; it left her stunned. “Leaving New York—Casey, are you sure?” Olivia’s voice was tinged with tones of concern.

“Liv, I can’t… I can’t do New York right now. And—what are we even doing anymore?” Casey sighed, a hand on her face. “You and I both know this is just—“

“All in the timing?” finished Olivia, shaking her head.

Casey chuckled. “Yeah, something like that.” It was the last Olivia would hear from Casey for years, but she returned, the proverbial phoenix rising from the ashes.


	6. Chapter 6

Olivia had gone to visit Casey, feeling guilty about their argument from earlier in the day. They were both on edge for their own reasons, and the detective felt she’d been too harsh. They had history; a simple case shouldn’t be enough to dismantle their relationship. She arrived at the ADA’s Upper West Side residence for the first time in what felt like an eternity, eventually finding her way to Casey’s door. Olivia knocked, hoping Casey was in the mood to answer.

The redhead’s face was sour as she opened the door. “What do you want?” she asked, sipping out of a whiskey glass as she leaned on the doorjamb.

“I… came to apologize.” Olivia nodded, her eyes lowering to her own hands. “For today.”

The silence grew between them, and Casey finished her drink before raising an eyebrow. “You wanna come in for that apology?”

The detective chewed her lip in thought and nodded once more. “Yeah. Thanks.”

The door closed behind them, and Olivia watched as Casey poured herself another glass, dropping a couple ice cubes into it and sipping it slowly. “You want some? ‘Cause… I need to talk.”

“No, thanks…” Olivia sighed, moving to sit on the couch in the center of the room. “But… what’s on your mind?”

“You know,” Casey chuckled, walking behind the couch, “if I could run around and bark at anyone who challenged me until they ran away, I would too... but I can only do so much, Olivia, and ultimately, I’m still on thin fucking ice here.” The redhead continued to stalk around the room, her green eyes flashing.

Olivia pursed her lips and crossed her legs, then made a sound of protest. “Casey, I—“

Casey held up a hand, taking another drink. “I’m not finished,” she seethed, “you’re so pissed off about Elliot, I can’t do a damn thing right in your eyes! Between whining about your precious partner and bitching about handling the new kids, you’re too busy to do your damn job.”

The detective stood, raising her voice, “Casey, you’re out of line.”

“You’re not my boss and we’re not at work.” Casey snapped, crossing her arms and staring Olivia down. “And… I know how you are now. I see it. How you look at people.”

Olivia’s eyes softened for a moment, taken aback by Casey’s claim. “How I look at people?”

“Just because I’m not a detective doesn’t mean I can’t solve mysteries,” said Casey, chuckling bitterly as she swirled the remaining whiskey in the glass. “I see how you look at me… like I’m fragile or something. I’ve ‘lost my nerve?’ Really? You have the audacity…” The redhead ran a hand through her hair, starting to pace in front of Olivia.

“Casey,” Olivia started, then paused, reaching out for the other woman as she spoke, “I don’t pity you—“

“And!” Casey stopped her short once more, “And… I’m not the only one. That new girl, Rollins? I’ve seen it.” Casey smirked mirthfully, her eyes glinting up at the detective. “She’s cute; I don’t blame you for wanting a piece of her. I thought it was obvious that she was your girl of the year.”

“Girl of the year?” The detective laughed in disbelief, “Casey, that’s ridiculous; you’ve been drinking...”

“Then why did I so conveniently fall into your lap not six months after Alex ‘died,’ huh?” Casey locked eyes with Olivia, looking like a cobra poised to strike.

Olivia’s eyes went wide and her jaw went slack. “A-Alex—don’t bring her into this,” she stuttered, shaking her head.

“I thought we had something, Olivia. But the way you looked at her…” Casey’s eyes filled with tears as she choked back a sob, “You’ve never looked at me—at _anyone_ that way. I was in love. And you broke my heart.”

Olivia’s stomach dropped. Casey had been _in love?_ She’d thought that it was supposed to be casual. “Casey, I’m sorry, I never thought—“

“ _Exactly._ You never thought. You never think. It’s shoot first; pillowtalk later.” Casey plunked her glass down on the coffee table and wiped her eyes. “But it’s _fine_ ,” she laughed, sniffling, “I’m over it now. I’m an adult; I handled it like an adult.”

“It’s not ‘fine,’ you never told me,” Olivia frowned, her eyes searching Casey’s face. “I didn’t know.”

“I brought you flowers; I called you ‘baby.’ I thought it was obvious that I was throwing myself at you,” Casey sighed, her shoulders slumping. “Took me the better part of my suspension to see how delusional I was.”

“I… it’s not your fault, Casey, really…” Olivia leaned forward, her head in her hands. This was not the conversation she’d expected to have with the ADA tonight. “You know… I can’t be the kind of woman you need.”

“If I’d known I was jumping into bed _repeatedly_ with an emotionally unavailable detective, I _wouldn’t_ have. So… whatever happened here? Whatever this was? It’s over.” Casey picked up the glass again and headed back to the kitchen, knocking back the final dregs of her whiskey.

Olivia stood, following halfway and leaning on the kitchen counter. “Professionally? You’re gonna give this case to someone else?”

Casey’s laugh sounded more like a bark. “I’m not about to let this one go; it’s my first time back. You, on the other hand…”

“What do you mean by that?” Olivia’s eyes narrowed, cocking her head in curiosity.

“This is…” Casey cleared her throat and took a measured breath, her eyes meeting Olivia’s, “This is the last time we’re going to meet in this capacity, Olivia. So if you’ve got anything left to say… now’s the time.”

The silence was anything but an opportunity; it created a vacuum, sucking all the air from the room. Olivia couldn’t speak; her chest was tight with a sort of loss that defied explanation. Her mouth opened to speak, but instead she set her jaw, the grind of her teeth echoing in her skull.

“I see.” Casey nodded, biting her lip. “Crystal clear.”

A shaky sigh left Olivia as she looked up, feeling a weight settle on her shoulders. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, her voice breaking.

Casey gestured to the door, “Goodbye, detective,” her voice growing cold and professional.

Without another word, the detective walked out of the door, making her final exit from the ADA’s life.


End file.
